An Angel Of The Lord Appeared To Him

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

We all tend to get stuck in our ways, so anything that diverts us from our routines and plans can be very annoying. Worse yet, life’s diversions are sometimes unsettling and painful.

Think about Joseph. God diverted him to Egypt to prepare him to rescue God’s chosen people from starvation. Or of Moses, who was diverted from the luxurious lifestyle of Pharaoh’s house to meet God in the wilderness in preparation to lead God’s people toward the Promised Land. Or, of Joseph and Mary to whom the angel announced the most significant diversion of all. Mary would be with child, and this child would be called Jesus, which means He would save His people from their sins.

We can always trust God’s greater plans as He does His far better work in the history of our lives.

Let God direct – or redirect – your steps.

Our Daily Bread – February 9, 2013